


Now we're torn to tatters

by icestar663



Category: EOS 10 (Podcast)
Genre: Blood and Torture, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, Robin Maas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-13 12:12:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9123088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icestar663/pseuds/icestar663
Summary: Ryan thought Dr Osolong wouldn't harm him. That they were friends.Akmazian thought Oslo was dead. That he'd killed him a long time ago.They may both end up paying the price for these assumptions.





	1. Part 1 - Akmazian

Slumping back on Ryan's bed, Akmazian looked up at the ceiling, drumming his fingers against his stomach while he waited for him. Ryan was late back from his shift but that wasn't unusual. If he'd had a long one he had a tendency to go straight across the station to the swimming pool and would arrived back an hour or so later than planned with a more contented smile on his face and warm eyes. So Akmazian didn't mind waiting. It wasn't as if Ryan was expecting him anyway. Akmazian had been off the station for the last week, hunting down a scrap of information that could help prove his innocence. It had been a waste of time so now he was home and wanted to talk to Ryan before starting up a new plan of attack. And it didn't help that Ryan had given him permission to use his shower. Akmazian was a lot of things. A plumber wasn't one of them, and it wasn't like he could get a professional onto the Storm to get the showers fixed.

So he waited. And he dozed – Ryan's bed was a hell of a lot more comfortable than those on the Storm. And hour came and went. Akmazian got up and checked Ryan's rota, he was definitely supposed to be back by now. He tried to call Ryan but got no response. Tapping his foot in worry, he left a message and then called Jane.

“Hey, darlin'” he said as Jane answered.

“What's up? Kinda busy right now.” Jane didn't sound impressed.

“Is Ryan there? The good doctor isn't back yet.”

“No. his shift finished over an hour ago. And he said he was heading back to his quarters.” Jane's voice changed from unimpressed to concerned, “He's still not there?”

“I've been here since before his shift was supposed to end. Think I would've noticed if he'd turned up. He didn't say anything about the pool?”

“Nope. It was a quiet one. He said he was heading to his quarters. You think something's happened?”

“I didn't until y'all said it. I'm going to check the pool.” Akmazian pulled his cloak around his shoulders as he spoke, “Call me if you hear from him.” He ended the call before she could reply and headed towards the swimming pool.

Ten minutes later, Jane called him.

“Robin? He's not here.” She said.

“Y'all told me he's not in the infirmary already.” He replied. “Why'd that need another call?”

“No, he's not on the station.” Jane explained, “After you called, I got to thinking. And the easiest way to find him would be just to ask the Interface right? Well I did and she said that he's not here. He isn't anywhere on the station. And he hasn't taken a shuttle.”

Akmazian stopped mid-step. “That doesn't make any sense. He's gotta be here if he didn't take a shuttle out.”

“Levi's already convinced that he's been kidnapped by someone. Though why anyone would I don't know. I mean, he's _Ryan_.”

“The son of a well loved admiral and a known associate of 'the Destroyer'? Oh no, I can't think of no reason why anyone would want him.” Akmazian drawled.

“Okay you've made your point. Though this doesn't bring us any closer to finding out where he is.”

“With the amount of people comin' through this place every day? The good doctor could be anywhere right about now. He's high profile. Someone will get a ransom note soon enough.”

“I'll let you know if I hear anything. Go back to Ryan's quarters. That way if he has gone of his own accord we'll know when he gets back. We'll find him, Robin.”

“And now why would I do that?” Akmazian asked, “If something's happened I'm going to be in the Silent Storm ready to go after him.”

Jane sighed, “Fine. Go to your ship if you think that's best. Just... don't go barrelling into danger and getting yourself caught.”

“I know. I'll be careful.”

“Johns out.” Jane said, cutting off the call.

Akmazian ran his hand through his hair and rubbed his eyes. He knew that going back to Ryan's quarters was a good idea in theory. But if he needed to go after him, every moment could be critical. And if he wasn't on the Storm already, Ryan could get hurt. He continued to dither in the corridor, filled with indecision before heading towards his cargo bay. He was going to be where he felt he could be the most useful, making sure his ship was ready for travel.

 

The comms device beeped for his attention. He reached for it from the panel he was half hidden behind and snagged it, answering without thinking. He froze as the familiar face of Oslo filled the screen, “Ain't you supposed to be dead?”

“You wish, Destroyer. I'm far too busy to die. And this time I've got an ace up my sleeve. You should teach your boyfriend to be less trusting.”

Rage flooded through him, “What have you done to him!”

“Oh nothing much. Not yet anyway. Just thought you'd like to know that he's in safe hands.”

“Where is he. What have you done with him?” Akmazian growled.

“That'll spoil all my fun, Destroyer. And what fun it is. I've finally found your weakness and it's this little sap with the purple hair.”

Akmazian inwardly kicked himself. He shouldn't have let the enemy know just how much Ryan meant to him. But too late now, “Let me see him.”

“And what would you gain from that?” Oslo tilted his head and grinned. “I'm going to find out all your little secrets. Who knew that the son of an admiral would cause such a stir with you. I'm going to find out all he knows about you. And then if he's lucky, I'm going to kill him.”

“Let me see him!” Akmazian insisted.

Oslo turned the comm he was using so that his own face was gone and instead Akmazian was looking at the dirty inside of a small cargo hold. Ryan was crouched on the floor, one side of his face red with blood. He was bound on his knees with his hands behind his back.

“Ryan...” Akmazian breathed, touching the screen.

Ryan looked over, one of the lenses of his round glasses cracked and his eyes dull behind them. He seemed to be trying to say something but couldn't get the words out. Eventually he just whispered, “I'm okay. Osolong-” he broke off, looking away.

Akmazian's heart shattered. No matter what happened he was going to get Ryan back. He was going to save his friend. The man he loved. The broken insistence that he was okay despite the terror in his eyes just made Akmazian more determined. He wanted to say something. He wanted to promise Ryan that he'd save him. He wanted to tell him that he loved him. But he couldn't. He couldn't do anything but watch as Oslo put the comm unit down and walked into view towards Ryan. “Don't touch him!” Akmazian snapped.

Oslo turned to the screen and just grinned. He grabbed Ryan's hair and pulled his head back to look at him, stroking one finger down his cheek, “I wonder what he sees in you, hmm. Let's see if he still cares for you when I'm done.” He waved one hand lazily at the comm and the screen went black. The last thing Akmazian heard before the connection was cut entirely was Ryan's scream.

He stared at the black screen. He tried to bring back the connection but got nothing. He shouted and swore at his comm. He considered throwing the treacherous object across the room but decided against it. He contacted Jane, pacing back and forth across the cargo bay as he waited for a response.

“Johns here,” she responded.

“He's got him.” Akmazian replied in a low voice, “I'm going after them.”

“Who's got him? What's going on?”

“Oslo. I don't know how he survived. He's supposed to be dead. But he's got Ryan. He's planning on using the good doctor against me. I can't-” he stopped, “He said Osolong.”

“What? You're not making any sense. Where are you?”

“In the cargo bay. I was fixin' up the Storm. He must have Ryan's comm because he called me. He let me see Ry. And Ryan called him Osolong. He hurt Ryan. He cut the screen but I heard the scream.”

“But... Dr Osolong started working here around the same time Ryan did. Are you sure that's what he said?”

“Course I'm sure! Where is this Dr Osolong? I need a word.”

“Hang tight.” Jane said, frowning slightly in concentration. “He's... not on the station. He took some last minute leave. He left a couple of hours ago.”

Akmazian did the maths quickly, “Around the same time Ryan's shift finished?”

Jane nodded, “You don't really think he-”

“I'm going after him. I need to know what ship he left in and what its last known coordinates were.”

“I'll get them. I don't know how. Sweet talk the quartermaster or something.” Jane promised, “Just... don't go until we have the coordinates. If you end up going in the wrong direction...”

“Ryan could die. I know. Oslo said that he's going to use him to find out everything he knows. And then... if Ryan's lucky he'll kill him. I refuse to lose Ryan. Not to him. Not to anyone.”

“I'm coming with you.” Jane said firmly.

“No. If Oslo comes back to the station and you've gone he'll know we're going after Ryan. Y'all need to stay here and let me know if you see him.”

“How come no one has recognised him? I mean, Oslo is a pretty big deal in some places.”

“I've heard rumours that he can manipulate his appearance. To some people he looks like Oslo. To others Osolong. Apparently it's somethin' telepathic. Depends on your perception of him.”

“Pretty impressive if he's managed to live and work without getting caught or given away.” Jane sighed, “We won't let him get away with this, Akmazian.”

“He'll pay for hurting Ryan.” Akmazian growled. “You find out what we need to know. I'll make sure the Storm is ready to go as soon as I get the coordinates.” He disconnected the call and let out a long sigh. He didn't know what else he could do. The Storm was already ready to go. He just needed something to occupy himself while he waited for Jane to get back to him.

 

It took hours for Jane to call him back. Akmazian had considered several times just getting into the ship and leaving. But he held himself back. He knew it could hurt Ryan more.

So he paced. And he checked and then double checked all the systems. Everything was functioning to the best of its ability. For some of the systems that wasn't much, but without getting a real mechanic and engineer on board it was going to have to be enough. His capabilities could only stretch so far. As soon as he had the coordinates he was gone. He eased the Storm out of the cargo bay and left, heading towards where Oslo had last been sighted. He hoped the man didn't have too far of a lead on him. He plugged his comm into the control station and scrolled through the commands to put in the coordinates that Jane had sent him. He'd head there, have a poke around and then find out what to do next. It wasn't the greatest plan in the world but it'd do. He hovered over the previous call from Ryan's comm, staring at it for a long moment. Something had been niggling at him about it and he'd finally figured out what it was. Coordinates. Oslo wasn't likely to do anything to Ryan when he was in a place where he could be discovered. He would have gone somewhere secret and out of the way before calling Akmazian. And Akmazian had a piece of kit that he was sure Oslo wouldn't have known about. He connected another wire from the comm to a different part of the control desk and set it working on finding out the coordinates that the message was received from. It wouldn't be totally accurate but it would be a start. And possibly a better one as it had definitely come in after Ryan had been taken.

Ryan.

He'd tried to push away the image of the man he loved bound on his knees on the dirty floor but he didn't think he would ever forget it. The lilac hair matted with blood that also stained the lilac scrubs he was wearing. Akmazian had been looking forward to seeing what colour Ryan was that day. He didn't think he'd ever be able to see Ryan in lilac again and not think of this. He tried to distract himself. But nothing worked. He set the autopilot and started to pace again, using the whole length of the ship. He walked from the bridge down to the armoury at the rear and back. On each iteration he checked and double checked the weapons racks. Blasters fully charged and ready to go. All guns loaded with all the rounds they could hold and spares ready beside them. He didn't want a fight, he wanted to get Ryan out of there without causing the other man any more pain or distress. But if that meant taking down Oslo and any crew members he had then Akmazian would do it gladly. No regrets. Not when Ryan's life was at stake. There was a time where the idea of killing anyone was deplorable. But the Alliance had changed that about him before he'd ever been accused of billions of deaths. He didn't enjoy it. He never would. But sometimes it was necessary. For Ryan he would do anything.

 

It took days. Weeks of hiding. Of searching. Of chasing up every lead that he could while being as quiet as possible about it. He didn't want to alert the Alliance or Oslo of where he was or what he was doing. But finally he found himself on Oslo's doorstep. He was armed to the teeth, his cloak billowing in the breeze. He broke into the place with no trouble. Anyone he came across he took down without mercy. He needed to find Ryan. That was all that mattered to him.

“So glad to see you made it. What took you so long?”

The familiar voice. The taunting. Akmazian turned to face Oslo as the deplorable man slithered down the corridor towards him. “Y'all didn't want to make it easy for me.”

“I didn't want you to find us at all. I wanted to have my fun with your boyfriend, discover everything there is to discover and then throw him away. I might have even shipped his corpse back to his family if I was feeling generous.”

“And if not?” Akmazian growled the question through gritted teeth.

“Dumped him in deep space probably. You know, I really am impressed you found me. Not many people would have been able to.” Oslo leaned against the wall, folding his four arms across his chest, “So what now?”

“What do y'all think?” Akmazian pulled his blaster.

Oslo laughed, “So unoriginal. You're going to threaten me to give your little boy back?”

Akmazian pulled the trigger. Held it down as the power of the weapon ripped through Oslo. “No. No more threats.” He watched but Oslo didn't move. Blood trickling the wall behind him.

Akmazian stepped over Oslo, holstering the blaster as he headed down the corridor he'd come from. Ryan had to be around here somewhere. There would be a cell or a cargo bay. Somewhere Ryan was being held. Potentially tortured for information. Akmazian pushed away the mental images of Ryan screaming. He had to find him. Assure himself that he was alive. Then he could try to deal with everything else.

He checked every room. Every corner. Even going as far as to run his hands along the walls as he moved through corridors, just to make sure that he wasn't missing anything. The deeper he went, the colder it got. He drew his cloak around himself as he walked. His boots were loud against the metal floors. He used an override on a door lock and as it slid open he was hit by the smell of blood and faeces. In the far corner a thin figure dressed in ragged lilac clothing was curled up into the corner. He wasn't moving.

“Ryan!” Akmazian ran forwards, crouching beside the older man. He wanted to touch him. To roll him over but he didn't dare hurt him any more than he already had been. “Ry?”

Ryan groaned softly, rolling slightly onto his back and biting back a whimper as he looked up. One of his eyes was swollen almost entirely shut, that side of his face covered in blistering burns. He reached up with a trembling and misshapen hand, his painful fingers lightly brushing Akmazian's cheek, tracing his scars. Akmazian didn't move. “I'm here, Ry. I'm taking you home.”

Ryan very slowly sat up, causing Akmazian to shift backwards slightly to accommodate the movement, though Ryan's shaking hand never left Akmazian's face. His voice was cracked with pain and lack of use as he whispered, “I thought he was my friend” and collapsed into Akmazian's arms.

 


	2. Part 2 - Ryan

Ryan didn't have the energy to cry. Didn't have the energy to do anything. Osolong's betrayal had cut him deep. The discovery that his friend whom had spent so long getting closer to him, acting as if he had a crush on him, had in fact been tricking him. Tricking all of them. He couldn't speak. Couldn't think. He just curled up against Akmazian and buried his face into his chest, snuggling his good cheek into him. His entire body hurt. Every slight movement sent waves of pain through his body.

Akmazian gently hugged him, holding his bruised and broken body closer. Ryan was a lot thinner than he had been last time they'd seen one another. He'd barely been given anything to eat or drink and even sitting against Akmazian sapped all of his energy. Osolong hadn't cared about him, that much was obvious. All he'd wanted was what information Ryan could give. The information Ryan wasn't willing to give. He'd kept his mouth shut, even if that had meant worse punishments. Worse tortures. No matter what, Ryan hadn't been about to give up on someone he cared about. Someone who clearly hadn't given up on him.

Being as careful as possible, Akmazian got to his feet and lifted Ryan into his arms, cradling him gently. He was too light. He'd picked him up too easily. Ryan shivered, burying himself as close to Akmazian's warmth as possible, clinging to his shirt like a small child seeking comfort. Akmazian bent his head over him and kissed a smooth patch of unmarked skin on Ryan's forehead, “I'm here, Darlin'. And I ain't ever leaving you again.”

The words comforted Ryan like nothing had. He'd been sure he was going to die here. In this tiny, filthy room. He'd dreamed of Akmazian coming to save him. He'd dreamed of someone being there with him. Someone telling him that everything was okay and he was going to get home. And then he'd woken up to a room where he'd been broken, tortured and left to rot. Hearing Akmazian's voice, he'd been so sure it was a dream. A hallucination. It wouldn't have been the first time. But he'd touched him. And his hand hadn't gone straight through Akmazian's face like it had every other time. Akmazian had stayed and waited for Ryan to come to his own conclusions. Ryan hadn't dared to believe it at first. But Akmazian was here. He was real. Ryan was safe again.

 

Akmazian carried Ryan all the way back to the Storm. Ryan stayed curled up in his arms, trying to make himself as small as possible. He was still scared this was a dream. Or that this was someone pretending to be Akmazian in order to hurt him again. The idea of that terrified him. But he clung to his friend. He couldn't let that fear betray them if this really was real. He didn't even begin to truly believe it until they were back on the Storm. No one could fake that smell.

Ryan was carefully placed into the copilot chair and Akmazian said nothing as he set the coordinates for home. For EOS 10. Then his focus was entirely on Ryan, automatically moving to stroke his hair from his face. He froze as Ryan flinched, “Sorry, darlin'” He murmured.

Ryan said nothing. His eyes darted around the room. Very slowly and painfully he stood up and moved over to one of the walls, lowering himself to the floor so he was leaning up against it. Satisfied that no one would be able to creep up on him, he curled his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees. He half closed his eyes, exhausted. The small corner he'd found for himself on the Storm was safe. This was where he was going to stay.

 

His eyes flew open as he sensed someone moving close by. It took him a long moment to recognise where he was. That he was safely with Akmazian and not in whatever hell hole Osolong had put him.

Akmazian sheepishly held out his cloak, “Sorry darlin'” he said softly, “Figured you might appreciate something warmer to wear.”

Ryan blinked at the cloak before managing a small smile. He was trembling as he reached out to take it, shifting forwards slightly. The material was warm and soft, smelling of Akmazian as he brought it closer. Akmazian helped him to fasten it around his shoulders, the heavy material a welcome comfort after the blanket of rags he'd had before. He pulled his limbs in as close as he could and covered his head with the hood of the cloak. Satisfied that he was entirely hidden, Ryan leaned back into his corner and closed his eyes. The scent of musk and Akmazian from the cloak was a comfort like nothing else. Like the other man was holding him again. Ryan hadn't realised just how much he enjoyed having Akmazian around. How much it meant to have someone there who would just hold him. Who didn't need to be told exactly what had happened and would just listen to whatever Ryan wanted to say.

He let himself doze for a while. He couldn't sleep, far too aware of Akmazian moving around and the gentle hisses and creaks of the Silent Storm as it moved through deep space back towards EOS 10. He didn't know how long it would take. Locked up in that stinking cell, he'd lost all concept of time. He didn't know how long he'd been there for. Or what had been going on in the outside world. Akmazian had come looking for him. Had actually found him. That's what mattered.

When Ryan had been taken, Akmazian had been off the station. He didn't know how long he'd been gone before Akmazian had returned and found him missing.

Movement beside him made him flinch and open his eyes. He blinked around, looking up at Akmazian's retreat before noting the cup of water on the floor in front of him. Cool, clean water. Trembling he reached out to take it but he couldn't make his broken fingers work right. He looked pleadingly at Akmazian and then gestured weakly to the water.

Understanding flooded Akmazian's gaze and he moved closer, picking up the water and carefully bringing the rim up to Ryan's lips, tilting it to allow a trickle of cool liquid into his mouth.

Ryan licked his lips and gulped greedily at the water. When the cup was empty he looked up at Akmazian, shocked to see tears in the other man's eyes. “Y-You saved me.” he said in a hoarse whisper. His throat hurt, causing his voice to crack as he spoke.

Akmazian just nodded, moving away and getting more water before sitting down beside Ryan against the wall. He was close enough that Ryan could feel his warmth without actual contact. Letting Ryan set the boundaries. Ryan shifted ever so slightly closer so that they were gently touching then leaned over, rested his head on Akmazian's shoulder and closed his eyes. Akmazian put a careful arm around him, holding him close as the autopilot flew the ship onwards. They didn't need to say anything else, just sit in companionable quiet as Ryan finally fell asleep.

 

It took just over a day to get back to EOS 10. Ryan hadn't known what to expect or how he was supposed to react but the whole place was so loud. He was still wearing Akmazian's cloak, while the man himself was wearing a spare. Ryan didn't even have the energy to tease him, he was just glad that he hadn't been made to give it back. Akmazian half carried him to the infirmary, though he was a little stronger now he'd had a chance to eat and rest. He curled up into himself as they stumbled onwards, flinching and jerking round at every little noise. He pressed into Akmazian's side as tightly as he could without causing himself too much pain to keep walking. It was agony. He just wanted to get back to his rooms but Akmazian insisted that he needed to get checked over first.

He hated it when Akmazian was right.

“Oh my god!” Jane exclaimed as she walked into exam room three. Ryan was perched on the edge of the examination table, the hood lowered to show his face. He was still pressed tightly to Akmazian's side, refusing to let the other man go.

Akmazian shook his head slightly at her, “Gonna need a full body diagnostics scan, a lot of painkillers and sleep,” he said simply.

Jane wanted to ask questions. It was obvious by the way she hovered awkwardly before nodding, taking a deep breath to put herself into professional mode. “Okay. Well this shouldn't take too long. Ryan if you could just-”

“No.” Ryan cut across her softly, gripping Akmazian's arm as tightly as he could manage.

“I can't diagnose your injuries unless you move away enough so I can perform the scan. Then you can go right back while I deal with them. Okay Ry-Guy?”

He shook his head, “several cracked ribs. Broken metacarpals in both hands. Fractured left radius. Burns on the face, chest and back, lacerations in the hairline and also chest and back, malnourishment, exhaustion and dehydration, some of the lacerations are infected due to lack of treatment and a dirty environment.” His cold, emotionless voice he'd used to reel off his injuries faltered, “B-Bruising to the... the genitals. And anal tearing...”

“Ryan...” Jane breathed.

“I didn't have anything else to do with my time. So I analysed the pain.” He looked up at her with tears in his eyes, “Can I go now? P-Please...”

“If by 'go' you mean being signed in as a patient and properly examined and looked after then yes.” Jane put her hands on her hips, “Ry-”

“No.” Ryan pressed against Akmazian, biting back a whimper of pain.

“Perhaps, home treatment will be the best for him.” Akmazian suggested. On the surface he sounded reasonable, but the steely undertones left no room to doubt the anger bubbling under the surface. “You or Dr Urvidian coming to his quarters to look after him. No one else.”

Jane looked like she was going to argue but then slowly nodded, “On one condition. Ryan, let me do a full diagnostic. Just to make sure there's nothing underlying that you've missed.”

Ryan stared at her. He wanted to argue but he knew it would happen anyway. Slowly he shifted away from Akmazian, curling into himself. Even that small movement sent waves of pain through his body. He felt cold without Akmazian beside him. Cold and alone. Unsafe. He didn't know when Akmazian's presence had started to mean safety but he couldn't stand being away from him. He watched Jane as she processed the scan, his shoulders hunched. He looked small and weak, like he was going to snap in two.

Jane watched the results come through on the scanner, “Okay. We can take you back to your room. And I'm going to put you on an intravenous nutrient solution. When you're more stable we'll work on the body weight issue. And I'm going to put you on a course of antibiotics and some painkillers.” She looked up at him and smiled, “And bed rest. Lots of it.”

“Thank you, Jane,” Ryan murmured.

She moved over slowly and when he didn't flinch away or tense up she very carefully put her arms around him, “I am so glad to see you, Ry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”

“Not your fault” he said softly.

“If I hadn't-”

“He would have done it anyway.” Ryan pulled away from her, “It wasn't your fault. He would have done it anyway. He wanted to hurt us. He wanted to use me against the Alliance and against Akmazian. And he would have done that regardless of what else happened.”

She looked at him sadly, “I'll get your meds. And we can set you up in bed. Levi and Dr Urvidian are going to be so relieved that you're back.”

“I don't think the Royal Dishwasher is the best person to tell right now.” Akmazian said quietly, putting his arm securely around Ryan's shoulders.

Jane nodded, “Okay. But don't leave it too long. He's been worried.”

“I just want to sleep. I need some times to recover before dealing with everyone again. Please?” Ryan whispered.

Jane nodded, “Go back to your quarters. I'll bring the meds along when you're settled.”

Ryan snuggled into safety of Akmazian's arms and nodded slightly, “I just want to sleep.”

“Sorry, Darlin'” Akmazian murmured, “You can sleep soon. We just need to get you fixed up first, okay?”

Ryan blinked up at him, his left eye just barely open.

Jane watched them, “I want to splint your arm. And then in the morning we can immobilise it and put it in a proper cast. Your fingers too.”

“Looks like you won't be doin' much yourself for a while. But you've got friends to help you. We won't let you fall.” Akmazian murmured, lightly brushing his lips against the side of Ryan's head.

“I know.” Ryan looked up at Akmazian, “I trust you.”

“I love you, Ryan. I won't ever let anyone hurt you again.”

Ryan rested his head on his shoulder, “I'm glad.” He murmured.

 

Akmazian helped Ryan to his room and settled into bed. Jane followed and set up the medical kit around the bed.

“Call me if you need anything.” She said as she headed for the door, “Either of you.”

Ryan lay in the centre of the bed, stuck on his back by the pain in his ribs and the dressings and bandages around his chest. “You'll be back in the morning?”

She nodded, “It'll be me or Dr Urvidian. We'll keep knowledge that you're back on the station quiet until you feel up to seeing anyone else. Have a good rest, Ryan.” She turned and left the room, the door sliding shut behind her.

Akmazian bustled around the room, making sure it was secure before turning off the lights. Ryan stiffened, “C-Can you leave it on?” He asked in a small voice.

Akmazian turned the light back up just enough to see by, “That okay, Ry?”

“I... yes. Thank you.” He reached out towards him, “Stay with me?”

Akmazian nodded, taking off his boots and cloak before climbing into the bed with him, very gently pulling Ryan close and kissing the top of his head, “Of course I will, Darlin'. I'm not leaving you again.”

“Thank you.” Ryan whispered, resting his head on Akmazian's shoulder and turning to bury his face into his neck. He fell asleep quickly, knowing that in Akmazian's arms he was safe. Home.

 


End file.
